Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-09-09
INDIANS HoRsEMANsHIP.
Great Feats In Riding Exhibited by Fri
days Young Arapahoe Warriors.

Great Feats In Riding Exhibited by FRI
days Young Arapahoe Warriors.
In the Indian camp of the Arapahoe
Chief Friday. Here we saw many curious
scenes and learned much of the Indian
life. One day Friday said to me he would
like to show off his young men and let
me see how well they could ride AT first
expected some treachery, as the whole
herd of ponies were still in the hands of
the troops. The old chief, however, was
so earnest and apparently SO honest about
it, told the captain, who had the herd in
charge, he might let. Friday have fifty
ponies for his young men. In about an
hour they drew up before the tents in war
paint and feathers, and were as fine
looking set of young fellows as had ever
seen. Hardly but one was six feet in
height and beautifully proportional. They
sat their horses like centaurs, and were
ease and grace itself in the saddle. At
signal from the chief they began their
movements with yell that sent the blood
curdling to the heart, and was enough, If
heard unawares or in the night time, to
make ones hair stand on end. In mo-
ment they had disappeared over a neigh
boring hill to the right, and thought
they had gone, but, hearing a mighty
trampling of horses, looked to the left
and there they came. I can compare it to
nothing but the wind and they swept by
so compact that they looked like ball of
horses and men.
Splitting in two, one body swept to the
right and another to the left, and again
disappeared. In about two minutes the
two bodies charged each other in solid
lines, and waited almost breathlessly for
fhn cho t,,,4 L
most touched each other, the files skill
fully opened to the right and left, and the
lines passed through the intervals without
touching. Wheeling to the right about
they passed back in an instant, and again
disappeared over the hills. 1t was about
fifteen minutes before they came in sight,
and Friday informed me they were blow
ing their horses. Presently on they came
and wheeled by tours, formed columns,
broke by tours, and finally deployed as
skirmishers 1t was now we saw the
finest individual horsemanship. Some
would approach lying so close to the
pony's back nothing but the horse could
be seen. Others stood up and rode as cir
Gus men do. Some would hang with
one foot and one hand on the
horses and sweep by, their bodies
completely protected by the bodies
of the animals. Some leaped upon the
ground holding to the name of the horse,
and after running step or two would
swing themselves up On the backs of the
horses again as easily as any circus man
could do it. The positions they assumed
and the feats of craftsmanship which they
performed were Incredible and doubt if
anything outside Of a circus ring ever
equaled it. They would throw objects on
the ground and pick them up again while
passing at full speed, the warriors hang
ing to the sides of the horses with one foot
and one hand. They drew bows and shot
arrows from underneath the necks and
even the bellies of their horses while rid
ing at fast gallop.
Our cavalry could not learn to ride as
well as these Indians did if each man was
trained for twenty years. They exchanged
horses while riding and got behind each
other. One man would fall off his horse
as if wounded, and two others would ride
up beside him and, taking him by an arm
and leg, swing him between their horses
and carry him off. The exhibition, or
drill, as Friday called it, lasted nearly
two hours, and the men and horses were
completely exhausted.-Omaha Herald.